"Paper Man" Trailer a Letdown on Heels of Clips

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Three clips from "Paper Man," starring Jeff Daniels as a failed writer and Ryan Reynolds as his imaginary friend, resurfaced last week in anticipation of the film's release. We enjoyed them very much. The trailer has now arrived and, well... it's tempered our enthusiasm.

Daniels is caught in a midlife crisis rut, his marriage to Lisa Kudrow has lost some zing, he's gripped with fear/uncertainty and he's sitting -- literally -- on a pile of unsold copies of his novel. His only solace is his imaginary friend, played by Reynolds, a bleach-blonde superhero.

Both Daniels and Reynolds have been honing their glib for years, and their comedic timing is put to good use in these clips as they bicker and fret about Daniels' ability to mange his own life. We were hoping that we'd stumbled upon something.

With the film's April 23 limited release looming, a trailer is now making the rounds. It is an object lesson in how, with little editing and a mix of joyous and plaintive indie rock, a promising small film becomes a missed opportunity.

We're still gonna try to see this and give you a full report.

Published at 11:39 AM CDT on Apr 12, 2010 | Updated at 1:41 PM CDT on May 30, 2012